Christmas cards began, as many traditions do, in Victorian England. In the early 1840s John Colcott Horsley printed what we would commonly call a post card today for his friend, Sir Henry Cole, who had the idea for sending his friends a greeting wishing them a Happy Christmas. The idea...
A Brief History of Christmas Cards
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A Christmas Parade 1950s Style
Dating back 65 years in time this is astonishing footage from a Christmas parade in 1950 from Simcoe, Ontario, Canada in fully remastered glory:
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Legend of the Christmas Orange
Nicholas, as you know, was a Bishop long before he ever was a Saint. This story is but one of many that make up his legend and it is sacred to those who consider him a saint. He had heard of a family that lived closed by — not even...
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St. Augustine Brings Christmas to England
Known as the “Apostle of the English,” Augustine (also called Austin; not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo, who came earlier) founded the Christian Church in southern England and became the first archbishop of Canterbury. Augustine was selected as leader of a mission of several dozen monks to England...
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Ancient Connections of Thanksgiving and Christmas
Here is some fodder for your Thanksgiving day discussions around the turkey — which is the more sacred holiday in America, Thanksgiving or Christmas? Check your learning of history at the door. This history of both holidays goes back further than you know — and both are related to each...
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The First Christmas Tree in England
It was the British royal family’s German connections which led to the introduction of the Christmas tree custom in England. King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte — who was of German descent– arranged for a great yew tree to be erected inside the Queen’s Lodge at Windsor on December 25...
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Tips for Keeping Santa Special
In the spirit of St. Nicholas Day (December 6th) we offer a few suggestions for keeping the magic of Santa alive. The figure of Santa Claus holds a special place in the heart of anyone who loves Christmas. Belief is not measured in wanting Santa to bring things — belief...
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Frankincense
They came from distant lands, these kings and wanderers following a star. With them they packed precious gifts fit for a King: gold, myrrh and frankincense. We know what gold is and we know that myrrh was considered then to be an ointment of great value in the lands of...
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Five Things People Get Wrong about The Nativity
I have been on a mission over the course of several Christmas seasons to find a Biblically correct Nativity scene. Like others who celebrate the religious elements of Christmas I am fond of the Nativity story and want it to share space with my Christmas tree, my Christmas lights and...
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DVD Review: Handel’s Messiah
There is perhaps no other music associated with Christmas that people know but know so little about than Handel’s Messiah. In a documentary shown widely on PBS this holiday season BYU Television travels the world to showcase the everlasting popularity of the work and to explore the story of it’s...
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Candlemas
There are 327 days remaining until Christmas in our countdown but on this day we actually celebrate a day reflective of the fact that Christmas was 40 days ago. This day is known as Candlemas. For many, the thinking of this day as a Christian celebration is natural as many...
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Christmas in Ireland
The Irish get more than their share of love every St. Patrick’s Day but they feel a little left out when it comes to Christmas. That is unfortunate because many of the ancient elements of Christmas have Irish roots. The most Irish of Christmas songs, Christmas in Killarney, briefly references...
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History of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. grew up with Christmas firmly a part of his family’s culture. An 1885 school essay speaks of Christmas being celebrated with family and sleigh rides. But Christmas was never on his mind years later as he envisioned the “city within a city” that would become Rockefeller Center. In 1928, about a year before the famed market crash of October 1929, Rockefeller leased land in the heart of New York City intending to build a showcase development that would have the Metropolitan Opera as its centerpiece. But with the market crash the Opera backed out and Rockefeller hesitated due to his own losses of the times. But after giving it lots of thought Rockefeller re-drew his plansRead more
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The Christmas Candy Bomber
The epilogue to World War II was the massive effort made to recover war-torn Europe. For months and even years following the war times were lean as millions scrambled to recover lives. U.S. President Harry Truman led a massive effort – dubbed The Marshall Plan – to bring relief to the starving, homeless and unemployed in Europe. Part of that effort was the Berlin Airlift of 1948, a round-the-clock operation of landing planes with relief supplies in Berlin. This is where the story of the Christmas Candy Bomber begins. Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen, of Provo, Utah, piloted a C-54 aircraft, typical of those used during the Berlin airlift. One day while waiting for his just-landed aircraft to be unloaded heRead more
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Abraham’s Impact on the History of Christmas
Modern historians usually work backwards in uncovering the origins of Christmas. For example, historians tell us that the modern Christmas tree grew from use of evergreens by English royalty in the 1830s and 40s, who picked it up from Germans who celebrated with trees for a couple of hundred years after St. Boniface first used the tree as a symbol of eternal life through Jesus Christ, which was a fable crafted by the Church in order to adopt the ancient pagan practice of decorating with evergreens indoors during the season of Yule. This is usually as far back as most historians go, causing some to declare that Christmas “evolved” from a pagan ritual. But where did pagans get their practices?Read more
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History of Christmas Catalogs
The industrial revolution brought an explosion of new products in mass quantities to market. The ability of mass media – in the form of print, radio or telegram – to get the word out about such products influenced buyers around the world. The advent of catalog shopping, which utilized all those emerging trends and technologies, brought the marketplace to the consumer, just as the Internet does today. It comes as no surprise that the pioneer of catalog merchants was likely Benjamin Franklin, who like Amazon today, first sold books by mail back in 1744. But it wasn’t until the post-Civil War era when Aaron Montgomery Ward cut out the middle-man pricing by taking manufacturer discounts straight to the mail orderRead more
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Christmas at Sea
When thinking of Christmas and the sea one immediately turns to the traditional carol “I Saw Three Ships”. The song, repeatedly made popular by interpretations in modern recording ranging from Sting to Amy Grant to traditional orchestras, is a happy tune dating back to the 17th century. But for all of its age and history, nobody really knows who wrote it or even what it entirely means. The lyrics have confounded historians for centuries and it is believed the song’s connection to Christmas is merely a sailor’s song of hope. After all, the song talks of three ships sailing into Bethlehem – a little town some 20 miles removed from the nearest body of water. Biblical stories about of shipsRead more
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History of Christmas Villages
As far as Christmas goes, the city of Palm Springs, California is far removed from being a Christmas village. But for Dennis Lloyd his annual return for winter time in Palm Springs signals the beginning of Christmas. He just can’t wait to get there right after Halloween each year. In a large bedroom in the Lloyd home Dennis has painstakingly constructed a shimmering Christmas village made of porcelain buildings, molded Styrofoam mountains, and thousands of miniature details, from trees to light poles to roadways, some handcrafted by Dennis himself. Dennis is 88 years old this Christmas and he sees no end to his Christmas hobby. The village, he tells me, grows a little bit each year. And the heart ofRead more
The post History of Christmas Villages appeared first on My Merry Christmas.
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Christmas Trains
For more than a century trains were the center piece of mass transportation. This time in culture also saw the rise of the industrial revolution and, as well, the media-driven mass popularity of the secular Christmas. The real connection of trains to Christmas was born of the fact that going over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house for the holidays was best accomplished by trains and it happened every Christmas. In fact, more people moved by train in November and December over the course of those 100 years than by any other method. If you wanted to be home for Christmas, you very simply had to take the train. But the real kicker for when it comesRead more
The post Christmas Trains appeared first on My Merry Christmas.
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Christmas with Lewis & Clark
The Lewis and Clark Corp of Discovery expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase. It began in St. Louis and traveled over the continental divide to the Pacific Ocean, gathering information and introducing the world to the wonders of the American West. Over roughly three years the Corps of Discovery saw things no American previously had and the recorded all kinds of new wildlife and plant life that led to decades of study back in the civilized world of the American East coast. It also opened the door to the American west as the expedition over the years would serve as the unofficial publicist for this western frontier. ForRead more
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